Hillary Clinton
The FBI has learned of more emails involving Hillary Clinton's private email server while she headed the State Department, FBI Director James Comey told several members of Congress, telling them he is reopening the investigation.

"In connection with an unrelated case, the FBI has learned of the existence of email that appear to be pertinent" to Clinton's investigation, Comey wrote to the chairs of several relevant congressional committees, adding that he was briefed about the messages on Thursday. "I agree that the FBI should take appropriate investigative steps designed to allow investigators to review these emails to determine whether they contain classified information, as well as to assess their importance to our investigation."


The FBI director cautioned, however, that the bureau has yet to assess the importance of the material, and that he doesn't know how long that will take.


Stocks fell after Comey's announcement, CNBC reported.

Representative Bob Goodlatte (R-Virginia), chair of the House Judiciary Committee, praised the decision to reopen the case.

"Now that the FBI has reopened the matter, it must conduct the investigation with impartiality and thoroughness," he said in a statement. "The American people deserve no less and no one should be above the law."

Almost 15,000 new Clinton emails were discovered in September.


In mid-October, Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), chair of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, promised at least "four new hearings" after Congress returns from recess in November based on the new emails, which lawmakers received but have not been made public.

"This is a flashing red light of potential criminality," Chaffetz said.

The new evidence points to a "quid pro quo" arrangement between the FBI and the State Department, he noted.

House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) renewed his call for Director of National Intelligence James Clapper to "suspend all classified briefings for Secretary Clinton until this matter is fully resolved."

"Yet again, Hillary Clinton has nobody but herself to blame," Ryan said in a statement. "This decision, long overdue, is the result of her reckless use of a private email server, and her refusal to be forthcoming with federal investigators."